My Hope Is Found: The Cadence of Grace, Book 3 by Joanne Bischof Page B

reached for her apron, knowing she’d be damp by bath’s end. “I’ll fetch the soap and his towel.”
    She hurried upstairs and found the soap on the washstand. Tugging open the wardrobe, she grabbed a fresh towel. Her fingers grazed the hair-cutting scissors. Snatching them up, she had a mind to give Jacob’s hair a bit of a trim. The red and gold locks had curled around his ears, and she thought a little trim before church in the morning might do him good. Lonnie bundled the things in the crook of her arm and started for the kitchen. This would be the third week in a row she’d be able to attend church with Toby, and last week the Bennetts had been up for making the trip.
    “You’ll be coming to church again tomorrow?” she asked Elsie when she stepped into the kitchen.
    “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s so good of Toby to have orchestrated it all for us. Last Sunday was such a treat.” She drizzled water down the back of Jacob’s hair, and Lonnie handed her the soap. She set the towel near the stove to warm. Crouching beside the galvanized tub, Lonnie ran a comb through Jacob’s thin hair and snipped it around his head. Elsie watched quietly.
    Lonnie let the tiny, autumn-hued curls fall into her cupped hand. “I’m glad you’ll be coming. It’s always so nice for us all to go together. All the ladies were talking about that buttermilk pie you brought for the church dinner last week.”
    Elsie smiled. “The recipe is quite a secret. There’s only one woman in the world I’ll be passing it along to.”
    At her heartfelt words, Lonnie smiled. “They say there’s going to be awedding next month. I thought it might be nice to go. It’s been so long since we’ve been to one. Could you imagine …” She squeezed Elsie’s hand. “The music. The dancing.”
    “You must wear something very fine.”
    Lonnie nodded quickly, but only to chase away the emotions that crept in at the memory of the wedding she and Gideon attended last year, Gideon so solemn at her side. She’d loved him then more deeply than she had thought possible. More deeply than he’d even known.
    “That blue chambray of yours is awful pretty. You could trim it with that bit of lace we found.”
    As Jacob played in the water beside Elsie, Lonnie sat in a chair and picked up Toby’s shirt. A tug on the needle, and her thread snagged, puckering the fabric. “Yes. I need to look my best because this shirt is going to be mighty fine.” The thread tangled worse. Chuckling, she snipped it to begin again.
    “You two will make a fetching pair. Folk might wonder if it were the two of you gettin’ hitched …” Elsie’s voice trailed off, and she glanced at Lonnie, apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to blurt that out like that.”
    “No need to be sorry.”
    “All in good time,” Elsie said softly. “All in good time—if it’s the Lord’s will, of course.”
    “If it’s the Lord’s will.” But Lonnie felt certain it was. Toby was a wonderful man. She counted herself truly blessed indeed to have him in her life. To hopefully one day be his wife.
    As if their thoughts had wandered the same path, Elsie rose. “I just want … I just want to see you happy again.” She reached for the towel.
    “I’m happy, Elsie.” Lonnie squeezed the older woman’s hand. “A little more so each day.” Lonnie lifted Jacob from the tub and set him in the toweled cradle of Elsie’s arms. A little more each day. Peace and melancholyseemed to battle within. But only one could take the upper hand. One must overcome the other if she wanted a joyous life for her and Jacob. She didn’t mind being happy. It was a heavenly feeling. It was
allowing
herself to be happy that she struggled with. Allowing herself to be happy despite all she had lost.
    Despite the fact that Gideon had let her go.
    Opened his hands. And let her go.
    Overwrought, Lonnie stared at the sewing in her lap.
A little happier each day, Lord willing
. God